Lenzie bowler Gavin going to World Cup

ian.maclean@jpress.co.uk

Lenzie bowler Gavin Ansari is on top of the world after being chosen as Scotland’s representative for the 2016 World Cup.

The 27-year-old has been called up for the singles’ event which will be held at Warilla in New South Wales in March.

Gavin’s call-up capped a superb 2015 for the four-time Lenzie club champion who made a major breakthrough by reaching the semi-finals of Bowls Scotland’s new Super Series competition in the summer.

Having qualified for the last 32 of the competition at Kelvingrove in Glasgow, Gavin was drawn against Paul Foster - and stunned the four-time world champion with a 21-18 win.

Gavin was the only unseeded player to reach the semis and was only beaten by 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Darren Burnett.

A clash with the World Bowls Tour indoor event means that some of Scotland’s top players are unavailable for the World Cup.

But for Gavin - a member of the Bowls Scotland High Performance Men’s Squad - that means an opportunity to these to test himself in a senior international.

He said: “Representing Scotland is a tremendous honour, and I will certainly relish every minute of it,.

“I honestly thought being capped at Under 25 level would be the highlight of my bowling career, so when I received the phone call to confirm my selection, it was an unbelievable moment. To be called up for a full cap is massive.

“I believe the Bowls Scotland Super Series provided a great platform for me to demonstrate that I can hold my own against top players like Paul Foster and Darren Burnett.

“As a result, I will go into the World Cup with confidence knowing that regardless of my opponent, I have the resolve to deliver a strong performance.

“Competing in an international tournament will be a good learning experience, and also an opportunity to test myself against some of the best players from around the world.

“I am just delighted to have been selected and really looking forward to it and to using the experience to develop my game.”